Tag: Fashionista

Thebe Magugu is one of South Africa’s top emerging stars in the field of fashion design.
The Johannesburg-based, 30-year-old designer made history in 2019 when he became the first South African to ever win the renowned LVMH Young Fashion Designer Prize.

This week in New York City, Fashion 4 Development honored him for his first visit to the country. He received the Franca Sozzani Award for 2023 at the First Ladies Luncheon, which was held in conjunction with the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations.

The “Mother & Child” series, which consists of eight costumes dedicated to celebrating South African tribes and traditions, is the name of the collection he displayed during the luncheon held at 583 Park Avenue.
The design of each outfit features a mother carrying her kid while dressed in the traditional attire of a different South African ethnic group.
The Venda Mother & Child Dress honors the Southern African Bantu people who are primarily found close to the South African-Zimbabwean border and the Swati Mother & Child Dress is a Bohemian-style moss crepe dress with a shirt collar, plunging neckline, and balloon sleeves.

The Zulu Mother & Child Dress, which is a rich maroon color, and the Tsonga Mother & Child Dress, which is red and blue, are also included in the collection.

According to him, South Africa has eight important tribes, and he wanted to honor them all. “I reinterpreted each culture by considering how mothers and children relate to one another. Depending on the culture, each outfit depicts a Madonna or mother figure cradling a kid.
It’s wonderful to see South African’ culture represented.
Coming from South Africa, a nation defined by indigenous customs, colonialism, apartheid, and its post-apartheid age, the fashion we see leaving the country, especially to Magugu, is being influenced by the country’s past, present, and future.

Being there is incredibly validating, he added. The Franca Sozzani Award feels very appropriate for me because I created my business with the intention of sharing history, cultures, and tales that may otherwise be lost to time.
I make capsules to preserve that for each one. Aside from being attractive, the fashion industry is also informative and educational.

Magugu’s ethical, eco-friendly clothing line is renowned for its recycled materials and storytelling as well as for its ethics. African Studies, the name of his spring/summer 2019 collection, was a commentary on the effects of colonialism on African culture.
It featured fabrics from Africa, such as kente and shweshwe, and patterns inspired by old African postcards.

Additionally, the designer has recently worked with community organizations to support African voices in the fashion business and train aspiring fashion designers as a way of giving back.

“When I started my brand in 2016, it was to pay homage, create an encyclopedia to the people and cultures that I don’t want to be forgotten,” the man added. These histories don’t lead to anything.
Fashion serves as a communication tool to inspire and transform, which is what makes it so brilliant.
The lunch was given in honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the one-year anniversary of her funeral in collaboration with the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust.

The VIP luncheon honored honorees like Hugo Boss CEO Daniel Grieder, artist Vuslat Sabanchi, Martina Cheung, president of S&P Global Market Intelligence, and Jean Shafiroff, who received the International Philanthropy Award from New York Assembly member Rebecca Seawright, who dubbed her “New York’s First Lady of Philanthropy.”
The event had a green carpet to honor sustainability in fashion.

As the goodwill ambassador for F4D, Naila Chowdhury, director of social impact and innovation at UC San Diego, was announced. The luncheon has previously recognized Victoria Beckham, Naomi Campbell, Donna Karan, Iman, and other influential figures in fashion.

Evie Evangelou, the founder of Fashion 4 Development, and Princess Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein served as the event’s co-hosts.
The Queen’s preferred bread-and-butter pudding recipe, created by her personal chef Anton Mosimann, was presented this year. With a reputation for dressing Jay-Z and Missy Elliott, costume designer June Ambrose, Twin Peaks actress Amy Shiels, Laine Siklos, Marcelo Carvalho de Andrade, Dr. Ines Hernandez, Chaz Dean, Sofie Mahlkvist, Janna Bullock, Daniel Stock, Park Magazine publisher Christopher Pape, and artist Bonnie Lautenberg, the widow of the late Senator Frank Lautenberg were among the notable attendees.
Magugu remarked, “I think that Franca Sozzani was such a trailblazer, look at all the things she has done. The All Black issue of Vogue Italy from 2008 included over 100 pages of black models on the cover.

He recalled that at the time, representation was practically nonexistent. I am privileged to be compared to her as a changemaker. She influenced fashion in a variety of ways, particularly when it came to diversity.

The lunch was held in conjunction with The 3rd Annual Sustainable Goals Banquet on Monday evening, which honored Lazarus Chakwera, the president of Malawi, Joseph Hernandez, the founder of Bluewater Biotech, Jasmina Bojic, the founder of UNAFF, the United Nations Association Film Festival, Dr. Ramon Tallaj, the founder and chairman of SOMOS Community Care, and Ingmar Rentzhog, the CEO and founder of WDHT.
An emotional address by Italian model Bianca Balti served as part of the event’s tribute to the late Franca Sozzani, Editor in Chief of Italian Vogue.

The prize, according to Dr. Tallaj, serves as a reminder of the significance of solving urgent social concerns of our time. He remarked this during the event. “We have the power to weave together threads of compassion, innovation, sustainable development, and equitable healthcare for all,” he declared.

In 2016, Magugu launched the high-end South African fashion label bearing his name.
The vibrant ready-to-wear collections are constructed from recycled materials and frequently feature motifs that are inspired by the history of Africa, but with a modern twist to make them relevant.
When the designer’s debut line, Geology, was highlighted in Vogue Italia in 2017, it was definitely a significant break.

Sara Sozzani Maino, the founder of Vogue Talents, the creative director of the Sozzani Foundation, and a creative advisor to Conde Nast, gave Magugu the Franca Sozzani Award.

Sozzani remarked at the occasion that Magugu “has a great vision for his creativity,” “empowers women, and brings the cultural traditions of Africa to the world.”
Magugu asserted live on stage that “People only need to feel seen once.”
The designer revealed that he was raised in a rural village and that his early exposure to the world of fashion came from watching MTV programs and music videos.

“I was rejected by a prestigious fashion school at a young age, and I studied fashion in South Africa,” he explained. “In hindsight, it was a blessing in disguise because being close to the visual cues to symbols I grew up with made me privy to such beautiful inspiration.”

Content courtesy of Forbes Africa & NFH

This weekend’s One World Festival, which will take place in and around Derry’s Guildhall, will include a fashion collection that was created and manufactured in Tyrone but was inspired by the brilliant colors of Africa.
Madge Kelly was raised in Nairobi, Kenya, but since 2018, she and her husband have made Ligford, which is near Plumbridge, their home.

During the 2020 lockdown limitations, she fell in love with sewing and has since created a collection that includes tote bags, waist jackets, circle skirts, scrunchies, and aprons.
She continues, “I learned the art of sewing when I lost my cherished mother during the 2020 lockdown. “I trained myself to sew as a coping mechanism for my sadness, and I started producing masks for my loved ones.

I eventually began producing headbands, tote bags, and scrunchies in my home studio.
“The vibrant colors of African patterns and the way they highlight the energy of the continent and the diversity of its inhabitants inspired me.

“I wanted to honor cultural diversity through my handmade designs,” the designer said.
Madge gave her collection the Swahili name RAFIKI, which translates to “friend,” and at first began to share her possessions with family and friends.

She now feels confident enough to present her work to a larger audience thanks to their favorable response.
This weekend, I will display some of the ideas I have been working on at the Guildhall, she added. “My motivation is to introduce and raise awareness of the African spirit in our community by encouraging them to wear clothing with African motifs.

In order to foster a spirit of inclusiveness and diversity, I hope that by sharing my collection, people will fall in love with the colors and appreciate African culture. Future plans include training in fashion design and learning about the industry. My ultimate objective is to present my African print creations on the catwalks of Paris and London during Fashion Week.

Derry City and Strabane District Council will host the North West Multicultural Festival – One World, which will begin at noon on Saturday, September 23, and will take place in and around the Guildhall. It will highlight the rich tapestry of international cultures that are present in the area.

The comprehensive program is a colorful celebration of worldwide music, song, dance, and cuisine and includes performances, workshops, arts and crafts, storytelling, enlightening exhibitions, and engaging dialogues.
A performance space will be created in Guildhall Square along with food stalls and arts and crafts including Beijing Mask Making and Thai Fan Making.

The space will feature dance and music performances from a wide range of genres including Hip Hop, Indian, and Ghana from midday until 4.30 pm.
Inside the Guildhall, the Main Hall will feature the World of Workshops initiative where people can try India Saree tying, Polish and Latvian crafts, and Chinese Dragon making.

The Whittaker Suite will have dance performances from Africa, India, and Asia while the Guildhall foyer will feature a variety of exhibitions of traditional clothing from throughout the world.
The Main Hall will host a Mukesh Chugh picture show.
The lovely Obon Fest lanterns and an exhibition of Indian culture will be on show next door in Harbour House, and visitors can stop by a variety of discussion events regarding the experiences that individuals from all over the world have had when relocating to the city and region.

Visit www.derrystrabane.com/oneworldfestival to obtain the complete One World Festival schedule.
The Good Relations Program of the Council has provided funding for this festival.

Content courtesy of Derry Strabane & NFH

One thing is certain: this bag is well-liked among Africans. Some refer to it as a “Ghana Must Go” bag, while others refer to it as a “Mashangaan bag,” and others who disagree with the first two refer to it as a “Khonz’ekhaya. In Kenya, the bag is commonly known as Osuofia Bag ”

Strong plastic bags, or ukhonz’ekhanya as they are known in Zulu, are frequently used by Africans who travel great distances. When returning to their homelands after spending time in the city, where they work to support their families, they frequently use this bag to transport heavy luggage.

The exhibition “Anyi N’aga – We Are Going” was curated by Nigerian multidisciplinary artist Chioma Obiegbu in partnership with bnnà bomà. She provides more information about the bag that is popular on our continent.

“In West Africa, the blue and white or occasionally red, black, and white checkered bags known as Ghana Must Go earned not only appeal but also a connection to migration during the 1980s in Nigeria when millions of undocumented Ghanaians were evicted from that country.

The bags got their moniker because many of them used them to bundle and send their possessions back to Ghana, according to Obiegbu.

Obiegbu uses fashion to convey the stories of West African immigration while collaborating with a large group of brilliant African creatives.

“The movement of individuals across nearby boundaries and distant continents has recently been a reoccurring issue, especially with the advent of globalization.

“Many people migrate in search of better economic opportunities, employment, educational opportunities, and marriage opportunities—bringing their possessions, cultures, and beliefs with them,” she said.

“Anyi N’aga – We Are Going explores migration and heritage as they relate to the aforementioned points through the lens of fashion, while artistically drawing on the symbolism of the Ghana Must Go bags as they have been associated with travel and migration.”

South African designer Wanda Lephoto uses the bags’ prints in some of his works, while Obiegbu uses the actual bags to create fashion items.

He incorporated the Ghana Must Go prints, for instance, in his “PEOPLE” Spring/Summer ’24 collection. He incorporated the Ghana Must Go prints in a line he named “Me Fie” for this collection.

In the Ghanaian language of Akan, “Me Fie” means “My Place of Origin. The late Virgil Abloh’s 3% design philosophy, which held that you might create something new by altering a procedure, a product, or a perspective by 3%, was the inspiration for the collection, according to Lephoto.

Content courtesy of  IOL & NFH

African designers and industry professionals discuss the influence of Africa on fashion globally.

Journalist Nana Agyemang, who is also the CEO of EveryStylishGirl, put together a diverse panel of African designers, industry professionals, and business owners for an ESSENCE Fashion House conversation.
Amira Rasool, the CEO of the wholesale marketplace The Folklore, Barkue Tubman, the Chief of Staff and Diasporic Engagement at Essence Ventures, and Kwaku Bediako, the creator and creative director of the fashion label Chocolate, were all part of the Ecosystem of African Fashion.

They each emphasized the interconnectivity of Africa with the international fashion business during their conversation.

“I feel like it’s so important that we connect,” Tubman said. “That’s part of my responsibility at ESSENCE Ventures, and just really in my life. I think that’s why this all works for me.” “For everything, with each other.
I believe we are aware of our effect on the fashion industry, and connecting the disconnected is what Essence Ventures wants to continue doing.
We’re going to accomplish it via a number of pillars, including economic inclusion, fashion, entertainment, and diaspora. Because I believe that Africa is luxurious, I am a major fan of African luxury.

Bediako emphasized how important it is to link African traditions with those of other continents as well as with those of other civilizations within Africa.
During the discussion, Caroline Wanga, the moderator of We’ve Been Here Before 50 Years of Hip-Hop Fashion, was actually sporting a bespoke Chocolate.
Bright colors and a variety of textures were used throughout the composition.
Rasool is commemorating The Folklore’s fifth anniversary, while Bediako is also marking Chocolate’s tenth anniversary.

Rasool is essential in helping different products gain exposure by securing placements with stores like Nordstrom, Saks, and Bloomingdale’s.

No insult intended, but working with the brands is the most challenging aspect of running our firm, Rasool added. “Because you are creative, your business is sensitive. It’s also the most satisfying aspect, and my journey to South Africa is what actually gave me the idea to found The Folklore.
While I was an undergrad, I had never been there before, and I instantly fell in love with the community.
I’ve worked in the fashion business for some time. I used to work in the media and was familiar with all of the European and American brands, but I was completely ignorant of the South African names at the time.

Content Courtesy of ESSENCE Fashion House & NFH

When we talk about fashion shows, we frequently pay more attention to the designers than to the curators who make sure the environment is appropriate for the items being displayed.

A fashion show’s location and production style have a significant impact on how the clothing is highlighted.
The African clothing company Merchants on Long organized a fashion display featuring South African designers at the Karoo Winter Wool Festival.

Designers like Mmuso Maxwell and Lukhanyo Mdingi showcased a true celebration of South African wool and skill at the fashion show, which was centered on sustainability and durability and portrayed a cyclical, sustainable fashion industry where clothing is returned to the source.

The showcase also included designs by Viviers Studio, Luminous Ware, Emelia Dorcas, INKE Knitwear, Fields, Wrapt Knitwear, House of Lucent, and GugubyGugu.
The curator of the show and fashion buyer at Merchants on Long, Sumendra Chetty, was quite clear about the types of designers she sought for the exhibition.

“In choosing the designers, I was quite deliberate. The first requirement was to find designers who had a history of working with the local wool sector; names like Lukhanyo Mdingi and MmusoMaxwell instantly sprang to mind.

“Our definition of luxury is based on durability, recyclable materials, respect for the environment and animals, as well as adhering to fair-trade principles.
“Every designer was required to adhere to this ideal, ensuring that we advanced purposefully. This showcase was identical to what we were presenting in person or online, according to Chetty.

Chetty and her colleagues devised something unexpected instead of the typical runway that we are used to. In order to display the most recent collections from the designers, models strolled beneath the stunning Karoo sky.

The visual storytelling had to have the same effect as the Karoo scenery. I made the decision to create layers to resemble the Karoo sky pretty early on because the trend was already so daring and distinctive.

From the delicate whites and creams of the cirrus clouds through the soft beige and sand of golden hour to colorful blossoms, dusk to blue, and eventually culminating in a starry night.

Content courtesy of IOL & NFH